Veterans

Gov. Pat Quinn today signed more than 20 bills into law aimed at helping veterans get jobs and providing other benefits for returning service members. Among highlights are measures that will double the tax credit for employers who hire veterans from $600 to $1,200 and another to make it easier for school bus drivers who serve in the military to return to their jobs once they leave active duty. Quinn also is reviewing several major ethics proposals that lawmakers passed earlier this year and says he will...

WASHINGTON — Tammy Duckworth, an Illinoisan who lost both legs during the Iraq war, resigned today from her job as an assistant secretary of the Veterans Affairs Department. She had held the job since the start of the Obama administration. VA Secretary Eric Shinseki said she had served the department “with distinction.” After her war injuries, Duckworth ran unsuccessfully for Congress from Illinois in 2006 and was defeated by Republican Peter Roskam of Wheaton, now in his third...

Several state agencies say they're hosting job information fairs for veterans. The Illinois Department of Transportation says there are well-paying jobs available in road maintenance, like in snow and ice removal. Interested candidates will have to apply, take a test and sit for an interview. Applications are available online at www.cms.illinois.gov . The first event is Monday at the Jesse Brown VA Center in Chicago. Three others are scheduled this month in...

The Tribune's Clout Street blog reports: The state will use a $500,000 federal grant to expand a program aimed at linking veterans with jobs when they return home from deployment. The grant is part of the federal stimulus package and will be administered by the state's Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, Gov. Pat Quinn announced this afternoon. The money will be used to expand a test program operated by the Easter Seals, with the help of the Chicagoland Chamber...

Several Chicago aldermen are fighting for their political lives tonight in runoff elections. On the Far North Side, 50th Ward Ald. Bernard Stone is down big to challenger Debra Silverstein, who had 62 percent of the vote with two-thirds precincts reporting. On the South Side, 6th Ward Ald. Freddrenna Lyle trailed challenger Roderick Sawyer by about 90 votes with 89 percent of precincts reporting. And 20th Ward Ald. Willie Cochran had 54 percent to 46 percent for Che "Rhymefest" Smith...

Mayor-elect Rahm Emanuel today added the personal touch to his financial support and endorsement of 17th Ward Ald. Latasha Thomas, appearing with her at a get-out-the-vote rally in advance of Tuesday's runoff election. Thomas, an 11-year City Council veteran, faces David Moore in the head-to-head contest. Moore says Thomas has let things slip in the ward, which includes parts of Englewood, West Englewood and Gresham. But in his first announced appearance at a campaign event hosted by a...

Several veterans with ties to a local Democratic activist gathered in the Loop today to demand embattled Republican U.S. Senate candidate Mark Kirk "come clean" about his military service following Kirk's acknowledgment he's mischaracterized his record. Eight veterans who said they have have served in Vietnam, Kosovo or Iraq congregated outside the James R. Thompson Center to make their demands, saying anyone in the military should know better than to stretch the truth about...

Throughout his life, Bill Burtner had managed to dodge numerous bullets -- both literally and figuratively. He survived two tours of duty in Vietnam, where he was wounded in combat. Next came a bout of lung cancer, followed by a long siege of chemotherapy. But it was neither the military nor a malady that ultimately claimed the 65-year-old custodian's life in November. Burtner was mugged at a south suburban bank, depositing proceeds from a fundraiser for the Veterans of...

U.S. Senate hopeful Rep. Mark Kirk was endorsed by former Republican presidential contender John McCain today in Glenview. From left, U.S. Rep. Mark Kirk (R-Ill.) and U.S. Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) acknowledge veterans in the crowd in Glenview today. (Tribune / Nuccio DiNuzzo) Kirk and McCain appeared together at a veterans' event. "The people of Illinois deserve a senator who will restore honest government, strengthen our national security, fight for veterans and...

Chicago Park District Board President Gery Chico said today he doesn't think a memorial statue of late Bears great Walter Payton belongs near Soldier Field. "I'd like to see an appropriate commemoration of Walter Payton's life and achievements in an appropriate location. I don't think that it's in Soldier Field, or even the immediate periphery of Soldier Field," Chico said. "That is for the memory of honoring our veterans, those who given their lives. " Chico,...

A Marine from Lonbard who delivers food baskets to the elderly is the Illinois Department of Veterans' Affairs Veteran of the Month. John Meschi of Lombard will be presented with the award at a ceremony Thursday. Meschi is a member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars and delivers food baskets to the elderly and needy. He's also with the Marine Corps League and has been chairman of the Toys-for-Tots committee for 12 years. Veterans Affairs department officials say...

Cicero's new top cop was sworn into office Tuesday, but in a surprise move, he was made the permanent police superintendent rather than the interim. "I would like to request an oral amendment [to the resolution] to strike the word 'interim' and to make him permanent," said Town President Larry Dominick to an applauding crowd at the Town Board meeting. The board unanimously approved the amended resolution. Bernard Harrison, a 17-year veteran of the department and a contributor to...

Robert Berlin, a veteran criminal prosecutor who has served in state's attorney offices in Cook, Kane and DuPage counties, will be nominated next week to replace outgoing DuPage State's Attorney Joseph Birkett, it was announced tonight. Berlin, the current chief of criminal prosecutions in DuPage County, will have his name placed before the County Board for its consideration on Tuesday by Board Chairman Daniel Cronin. "I am convinced that Mr. Berlin possesses the...

A police car is parked near the intersection of Seipp and Francisco where a Chicago Police Officer was killed Monday night. (Antonio Perez/Tribune) Chicago police this evening identified an off-duty Chicago police officer found dead in his black SUV after being shot several times as a decorated 15-year veteran of the department. The shooting occurred around 6:30 p.m. Monday. About 24 hours later, police identified him as David A. Blake, 45, of the Southwest Side,...

Ald. Ed Smith, 28th, the dean of the Chicago City Council's black caucus, has submitted his resignation to Mayor Richard Daley, sources confirmed this morning. Smith, whose resignation will take effect at the end of the month, will be among three aldermen whose last meeting is today. With his retirement, nine veteran aldermen have announced they will not run in next year's city elections. Read more at Clout Street .

WASHINGTON — Tammy Duckworth, an Illinoisan who lost both legs during the Iraq war, resigned today from her job as an assistant secretary of the Veterans Affairs Department. She had held the job since the start of the Obama administration. VA Secretary Eric Shinseki said she had served the department “with distinction.” After her war injuries, Duckworth ran unsuccessfully for Congress from Illinois in 2006 and was defeated by Republican Peter Roskam of Wheaton, now in his third...

Tammy Duckworth, director of the Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs, will be nominated by President Barack Obama to be an assistant secretary for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, a White House official said tonight. The source said Obama intends to nominate Duckworth to be an assistant secretary for public and intergovernmental affairs. For more go to chicagotribune.com.

Veterans Day will be observed Thursday. The following public services will be affected: Schools: Many schools will be closed; check with local school offices. Government offices: Most government buildings will be closed. Postal service: Post office branches will be closed. There will be no mail delivery, except for Express Mail Courts: All courts will be closed, except for Cook County Holiday Bond Court. Banks: Major banks will be closed.

Two days before Veterans Day, Mayor Richard Daley dedicated a new plaza at the Interstate 190 entrance to O'Hare international Airport to honor current and past members of the U.S. military. The plaza, installed at an airport named after Edward H. "Butch" O'Hare, a Medal of Honor winner who died in World War II, features eight flags, including one for each branch of the armed services. More in Clout Street